


A Day To Remember

by onceandfuturekiki, RovingRomy, TiamatZX



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Round Robin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-10-01 04:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10180463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceandfuturekiki/pseuds/onceandfuturekiki, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RovingRomy/pseuds/RovingRomy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiamatZX/pseuds/TiamatZX
Summary: A stone with words etched into it shouldn’t have been able to evoke this emotion in him. He had seen plenty of stones like this from many different people in many different places, but this one felt different.A "round robin" Vaxleth fic.





	1. Words Etched In Stone

**Author's Note:**

> Spearheaded by Once and Future Kiki, this is a "round robin" Vaxleth fic written by myself and a few others.
> 
> Our tumblr handles for those who did wish to be credited:  
> @onceandfuturekiki  
> @rovingromy  
> @tiamat-zx  
> @wickedraygun
> 
> There was one other, but they wished not to be credited.
> 
> All the same, I hope you enjoy it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vax finds a stone with words etched into it. The message intrigues him and he heads off to seek out the source.

A stone with words etched into it shouldn’t have been able to evoke this emotion in him. He had seen plenty of stones like this from many different people in many different places, but this one felt different.

Vax clutches the stone in his hand as he walks down the halls of Castle Whitestone at a rather brisk pace, eager to find the one who wrote the words. It was actually quite easy to tell who had written them; the stone had shown no signs of being riddled with cuts or scrapes. Those were things one would normally find if someone wanted to etch a bunch of symbols or letters onto a rock. But the way the letters appeared, as if they were a natural part of the stone, were a dead giveaway as was the elvish handwriting.

_There’s only one person I know with such skill and handwriting. A given, considering what kind of person she is in the first place. I’ve seen her manipulate the very elements around her; forming letters like this would be a cinch._

Vax looks around the dining hall, expecting to find her but is surprised that no one else is around. It is still really late at night, after all, the guards making the rounds and rotating as needed. Two of them, a male and female human, notice Vax and approach him, the rogue nodding at them as he moves to meet them.

“Good evening, Sir Vax’ildan,” the woman says to him in a polite and courteous manner, bowing best she can due to her armor. “May I ask why you’re here at this late hour?”

“My apologies,” Vax replies. “I was looking for someone. Have you seen Keyleth, by any chance?”

The two guards look at each other, and then the man says, “If you’re looking for Lady Keyleth, I believe I saw her in the castle garden. I’m not sure as to why she’s there this late. But I suppose druids are weird like— **_ow!_** ”

The woman elbows the man in the ribs, the sudden jab catching both him and Vax off-guard. She stares harshly at him, her face slightly obscured by her helmet but the eyes are easy to see. Vax knows the kind of stare she is giving to the man. It is the kind of stare that can stop even the most reckless of people in their tracks. He’d seen it quite often from Pike towards Grog, her tiny but harsh glare able to stop whatever idea may run through his own easily confused mind.

“Watch your tone, Horace!” the woman remarks, her tone sharp and direct. “You do realize who you are addressing and referring to, do you not?”

Vax can’t help but smirk; he had heard Vex’ahlia talk with such a tone many times over in the past. It was a tone that carried an air of authority and a sense of not taking shit from anyone. It was clear that this woman holds a much higher rank among the castle guard compared to her current counterpart.

“My apologies, Aurora,” Horace said as he winced, clutching his side and whimpering like a dog. “Yes, um, Lady Keyleth should still be there, Sir Vax’ildan.”

“Just ‘Vax’, please,” Vax replies, feeling uncomfortable at the level of formality he is being subjected to. “I was never one for wanting to receive such treatment.”

“Sorry, Sir Vax’ildan. I-I mean, ‘Vax’!” Horace quickly amends, feeling embarrassed at his own snafu. “It was Lord Percival’s insistence that Lady Vex’ahlia’s own family be given the same treatment as herself.”

Aurora facepalms at Horace’s whimpering, letting out a loud, exasperating groan. “Just let it go, Horace. It’s clear that Vax is feeling very uncomfortable.”

Vax shrugs his shoulders. “It’s fine. So she’s in the garden?”

“She should be, at least,” Aurora replies. “Anyway, if you will excuse us, we have to go continue our rounds.”

She grabs onto Horace’s arm and starts to pull him away. “Come on, Horace, you fucking, sniveling knave.”

“Aurora, w-wait! I-I-I can walk by myself!” Horace shouts at her as their voices fade with their departure, leaving Vax to shake his head in disbelief.

_This is the best you got for guards, Percival? I’m surprised Cassandra is able to deal with people like him. That being said, that Aurora woman is tough as nails._

Vax chuckles to himself and, without a second thought, heads towards the direction of the castle garden, remembering why he is out and about in the first place.

_Right. The stone… and the words on it._

Within the span of roughly fifteen minutes, Vax finds his way to the back of the castle and ends up at the entrance of the recently restored garden, the once-dead grass and flowers revitalized thanks to Keyleth’s magic as well as that of Pike, Kashaw, and Keeper Yennen. He finds it hard to believe that over two months ago, the garden was covered with the green noxious fumes of the distillery beneath the castle, a byproduct of Doctor Anna Ripley’s experiment with turning whitestone into a glass-like material. “Residuum”, he had heard Percy call it.

After some searching, Vax finally sees Keyleth sitting on the circular stone wall of the center pool of water, her short red hair an easy giveaway even this late at night.

“Kiki?” Vax calls out, not loud but just enough to catch her attention. In response, Keyleth jumps a little but soon relaxes upon seeing where he is.

“Oh, Vax. Hi there. Um, I suppose you found my message?”

Vax pulls out the stone and tosses it in the air casually, catching it with ease as it lands in his palm. “Sure did. So… I need to ask you something.”

Keyleth nods, eager to hear him out. “What is it?”

“What I want to know is,” Vax asks Keyleth with a smile on his face as he looks at the stone and then back at her, “how did you know it was my birthday?”

“What kind of a girlfriend would I be if I didn’t know when your birthday was?” Keyleth says, standing as she uses the back of her hand to wipe some sweat away from her forehead, leaving a smear of dirt behind.

“But I never told you…” Vax remarks as Keyleth stifles a giggle.

“Well, I might have done some reconnaissance,” she says, sauntering up to him with what he guesses is supposed to be a sneaky expression.

“Reconnaissance? Really?” he asks, smirking at her antics.

“Well, okay, I heard Vex telling Percy her birthday was coming up, but they didn’t even know I was there and it was all very stealthy,” she explains, coming to stand in front of him, close enough that he can breathe in the sweet smell of her sweat.

“I’m sure you were _very_ sneaky,” Vax says, reaching up with his unoccupied hand to wipe the dirt away from her forehead.

“I really, really was.”

He smiles fondly at her, enjoying the open way she gazes back at him. After a moment he breaks the stare, turning his attention to the rock in his hand. “So this is Elven and… Ashari, right?”

Keyleth nods eagerly, pivoting to stand next to him, pressed into his side so that they can both look at the rock. “I liked the idea that it was in both of our languages.”

“I like it, too,” he tells her. “I love it, in fact.” He leans in close, pressing a lingering kiss to her cheek.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?” she asks. Vax pulls back to look at her, and she’s still smiling at him, her voice light, but he knows her well enough now that he can see the hurt she’s trying to hide.

“Honestly, I just really didn’t think to,” he confesses. “It’s been a long time since either Vex or I really celebrated. We always did with our mother, but once we went to live with our father… well, there was always a party, but it was all pretty joyless and dreadful. After we left and we were just on our own, it just kind of became something we didn’t really do.”

She nods, the hurt leaving her eyes as a genuine smile creeps across her face. “Well, now that you’re with me, you’re going to celebrate every year. Even if it’s just a little thing like this. And I promise, it will never be joyless _or_ dreadful.”

 _I like the sound of that, especially the “every year” part_ , Vax thinks to himself, the thought of the future stretching out in front of them together filling him with a joy and a hope that’s almost completely alien to him.

“And… you do know when my birthday is, right?” she asks him, trying to sound like she isn’t overly interested.

“I absolutely do,” he responds confidently. “It’s in five months, two weeks, and six days.”

Her smile brightens, practically filling her face with light, and she slides her arms into his, leaning her cheek against his shoulder. Vax enjoys the moment, his eyes slipping shut as his focus narrows down to her warmth and weight at his side. But then she’s spinning away, tugging on his arm and he can hear the laughter in her voice.

“Come on,” Keyleth remarks as she pulls him along.

“What?” he replies as he stumbles after her the first two steps until he can regain his footing. “It’s the middle of the night. Where are we going?”

“It is _midnight_ on your _birthday,_ ” Keyleth tells him. Vax could see that even in the darkness, her eyes glimmer like the stars. “We have the entire day ahead of us.”

With a laugh, Vax gives her hand a tug of his own.

“As much as I appreciate the thought, and as much as I am looking forward to spending the day with you,” he mentions nonchalantly as he waves his hand at the night sky, the hand still gripping the small stone, “we are limited on options.”

“And are you adverse to any of those options?” Keyleth asks as she turns her wide-eyed gaze up to him from over her shoulder, quirking an eyebrow at the end of her question, and it’s all Vax can do to resist the urge to kiss the hint of a smirk taking over her lips.

“No. But it is my birthday, so…”

“Then you can tell me all about what you want on the walk back–”

Vax closes the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her waist and spinning around once. Keyleth’s laughter falls from her like autumn leaves, shifting into delighted giggles as he peppers her neck with kisses.

“Just being with you is enough,” he murmurs, once again enjoying the warmth and weight of her in the circle of his arms.

She squirms around in his grip and wraps her arms around his neck. “Then that makes the first part of this day very easy, doesn’t it?”

He groans and leans against her, pretending to sag under the weight of heavy bones and gravity. “The first part? How many more parts do you have planned out?”

Keyleth’s laughter is muffled as she holds him aloft and tries to start dragging him back towards the castle. “Depends on how well this next bit goes, I suppose.”

Vax allows her to tug him along for a few steps before regaining his footing and tucking his hand into hers properly. The trip back to their room is as quiet and uneventful as the trip to find her had been, save for the lack of running into any more guards, for which Vax is thankful.

He glances at her out of the corner of his eye as she navigates the halls with no effort at all. She stops at their door, glancing at him with nervous curiosity. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” he replies automatically. “I’m just thinking about how happy I am.”

Keyleth smiles, a small and infinitely warm gesture that catches him off guard every time, and nudges the door open with her hip. Vax follows after and only pauses long enough to kick the door closed behind them and lock it before he scoops her back up in his arms.

* * *

Morning filters in through the windows as lazily as Keyleth feels, although loose and boneless are also decent descriptors for her. Vax’s arm is draped around her waist and his fingers trace out a senseless pattern across the plane of her stomach. She makes a quiet, happy hum and settles back further into his embrace. This movement is rewarded by lingering kisses to the back of her neck.

“Happy birthday,” Vax mutters sleepily.

She makes a barely coherent sound and stretches. “It’s _your_ birthday.”

“Hmm...” he mutters again, Keyleth finding it hard to tell if that is a noise of understanding or agreement until he says, “Happy birthday to me, then.”

“Do you want breakfast?”

There’s no response for a good long moment, and Keyleth wonders if she had actually said the words aloud or if Vax had fallen back asleep. But then he hugs her closer, tangling their legs together, and lets out a huff of breath.

“No,” Vax grumbles, “because then I have to see my sister and I don’t want to know what kind of face she’ll be making when she sees us.”

_He does have a valid point, considering how often he and Vex like to annoy each other with their teasing jabs._

Silence descends back over them, and Keyleth is settling back down into the bed to slip into sleep. Then, slurred with sleep, Vax asks, “Don’t fancy castles have room service?”

She has to smother her laughter with the back of her hand. “I don’t know.”

“Hmm. Scanlan’s mansion does.”

“It’s all chicken, though.”

“But it gets delivered.”

“Okay then. More sleep, then we tell Percy that Castle Whitestone pales in comparison to Scanlan’s Magnificent Mansion due to the lack of room service.”

Vax laughs into her shoulder blades. “The look on his face will be priceless.”

The happy couple cuddles for a few blissful minutes longer. And Keyleth almost drifts back to sleep before she hears Vax make an annoyed grunt, kiss her shoulder blades and slowly get out of the bed. This was normal for them whenever they could spend the morning together. They would hem and haw over getting out of bed to start the day, delaying for as long as possible, until one or the other inevitably got up first. It was almost always Vax.

Keyleth turns over and watches her boyfriend stretch out and yawn like a jungle cat. She revels in the nearly domestic familiarity of watching him go about his morning routine as he finally gets to his feet and begins stretching in earnest.

She’s particularly fascinated by the corded muscles along his lower back, before her eyes drift up towards a hand-shaped brand. One that permanently cut his ties with the Clasp, and that she had personally burnt into his skin. It always made her feel guilty to know she had scarred him in such a way. And the fact that he had asked her to do it never really alleviated it.

Keyleth shoves the dark thoughts aside and gets out of bed herself. She stands behind him and they smile at one another and quietly begin an Air Ashari stretching ritual. It centered the mind and body through balance, deliberate movements, and breathing. He had all but begged her to teach it to him after he had first witnessed it.

“Looks almost like you’re dancing to the wind,” he had said at the time.

She almost regretted it later when he smugly mastered in three days what had taken her months and months of practice. Her boyfriend could be a bit of a jerk sometimes. An adorable one, but still.

And so the two of them dance to the wind, their breathing steady and in unison. Their movements are practiced, easy, and graceful. And their hearts are full of joy and love. Two souls in perfect harmony with one another.

“Your form’s a little off,” Keyleth lies before moving her hands to his shoulders to gently “correct” him.

“Oh, I’m sure it is, Kiki,” Vax says in a tone that shows that he is clearly not buying it in the least.

Her hands flit along his arms, coasting along the exposed skin, feeling the rising goosebumps of his flesh. She smiles wickedly as she draws closer to him and places a series of kisses along his neck. She softly scrapes her teeth along the pulse of his neck, and feels a rush when he shudders and moans appreciatively in response.

“We’re going to be very late for breakfast,” Vax says.

“Yes, we are.”

They happily fall back into bed.

* * *

The teasing at breakfast had been merciless, but completely worth it. Keyleth had rushed off to grab some things for their day and said to meet her at the Sun Tree.

“Happy birthday, Brother. And do have a lovely time today.”

Vax stares at his sister suspiciously and asks, “Alright, Stubby, what do you know?”

“As usual, everything. It’s a terrible burden.”

“Oh, I’ll bet.”

Vax studies her and then says, “You’re lying. You don’t know anything, do you?”

Vex scoffs as if she’s about to deny it, but then sighs. “No. And it’s annoying. I think Percy and Keyleth are colluding something for later. But I’m not sure. And I don’t think it’s a party, or at least not just a party. I hate secrets when I’m not the one that’s keeping them.”

“Me too. Because it’s usually something that bites us in the ass. But I’d like to think this will be different.”

His sister smiles at him. “I do, too. But it’s still annoying as all fuck. Anyways, you’d better get out of here before Keyleth elopes with the Sun Tree.”

Vax rolls his eyes and gives his sister a hug. She pretends to push him away for a moment but then hugs him back.

“Happy birthday to you, too, Sister.”

The twins take the moment to enjoy each other’s company, for once content with the world and their place in it.

“Brother, you have a hicky on your neck.”

“Yeah. So do you."

* * *

Vax finds her sitting cross-legged in front of the Sun Tree.

“Thanks, Boo. I’ll talk to you again soon.”

She then turns and smiles at him. “Got everything?”

“Spare change of clothes and a towel,” Vax replies. “It’s a little odd, I’ll admit. So what are we doing?”

Keyleth gestured to the Sun Tree. “We’re going on a trip. I know of a place I’ve always wanted to go back to, but never really had a chance to. I found it when I was first starting my Aramenté, before I found Vox Machina. No one else knows about it. And I want to share it with you.”

“I’m touched. That sounds amazing. So what is it?”

“It’s a natural hot spring. It’s beautiful,” she says. And then she adds, playfully, “And secluded. There will be no one around for miles.”

“Have I mentioned you’re amazing today?”

“Yes. Very loudly about two hours ago,” Keyleth replies with the biggest smirk he had ever seen on her face.

“Well, it bears repeating.”

Keyleth kisses him quickly on the lips and then turns to the Sun Tree to cast her spell. She finishes her incantation and a door opens in the middle of the tree. Vax hurries in without a second’s hesitation, and she follows a moment after.


	2. A Secluded Retreat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vax and Keyleth spend time alone in the secluded hot spring.

Vax sits on the rocks, watching Keyleth swim around through the water. They’ve been here for hours now, enjoying time alone in a way they never have before. There’s always people around, and it always seems like they never have the time to get away and be completely alone like this. It’s incredible. They’ve spent the day swimming in the warm water, making love (and not having to worry about disturbing anyone else with the volume. Vax has discovered he really likes it when Keyleth is loud), snacking on the picnic Keyleth packed, and just lazing around, enjoying each other’s company.

Right now he’s watching Keyleth practice changing forms as she swims around as different creatures. It’s fascinating, watching her form change so much so quickly, and he marvels for what must be the millionth time at her power. That’s always been something that attracted him to her, even from the beginning, and the combination of witnessing that power and watching her naked body move gracefully through the water when she’s between animal forms has his blood starting to simmer, and he’s thinking about joining her in the water, pushing her up against one of the large rocks, and showing his appreciation for her.

Before he can do anything about his growing arousal, Keyleth pulls herself out of the water, sitting down close to him, her leg pressing into his, as she wraps her towel around her shoulders. Vax shifts, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in close. She tilts her head up, her hand going to his cheek to pull him into a long, lazy kiss. He lets himself fall into it, the way her lips feel moving against his, the way their skin feels pressed together, the heat coming off of the water, and the pleasant air around them, warm enough that they’re not cold when they come out of the water, but not too hot.

“So where exactly are we?” Vax asks when they separate.

Keyleth rests her head against his shoulder, looking out at the water and the trees surrounding them. “Between Zephra and Stillben,” she tells him. “I found it two days after I left home. I was so tired, so scared. I’d barely slept at all since leaving home and I was already sure I was failing. And then I found this place. It was so calm and comforting that I just stayed here for a couple of days, learning some new spells and practicing my magic.”

Vax tries to imagine Keyleth, a few years younger, even more insecure and scared than she is now, leaving her home behind, traveling by herself. His heart aches for that girl, for the fear he knows she felt. But he knows that’s not Keyleth anymore. Though she still struggles often with self-doubts and fear, she’s become so strong during her time with Vox Machina, such a powerful leader. He’s inspired by her perseverance, and he tries everyday to find a way to tell her so.

“Now,” Keyleth continues, tearing him away from his thoughts, “whenever I feel scared or insecure I bring this place up in my mind and it helps.” She smiles up at him, her eyes soft and adoring. “When I don’t have you around to pick me up, anyway.”

Vax smiles softly at her, leaning down to kiss her again, his fingers running through her hair.

“I love it here,” he whispers. “And I’m so honored that you wanted to share it with me.”

“Of course, Vax,” Keyleth replies with such earnest sincerity that he feels like he’s falling and spinning faster than humanly possible all at once. “I want to share it all with you. Anything, if you ask, will be as much yours as it is mine.”

He doesn’t know what sort of expression he is making, or even what his reaction should be. The strands of her hair tangle around his fingers as he curls his grip deeper around the back of her head. He pulls her in, their foreheads pressed together, so she won’t have to see his face. “You wonderful and maddening creature, you.”

“I learn that from you.”

“I don’t doubt it,” he says with a huff of laughter. After a moment longer to enjoy the calm, Vax clears his throat and sits back. He lets his fingers run idly through her hair as he thinks. “Now... there’s something that has bothered me for a while.”

Her expression falls, and he has to try his hardest not to drop the façade. “Yes?”

“A long time ago. I can’t even remember anymore, but it’s been months.” He lets his gaze wander out across the water, focusing on a middle distance. It’s easier to play up when he’s not looking at her. “I seem to recall it being after one of our, ah, earlier conversations.”

Keyleth’s shoulders tense, and Vax knows that he can’t let this last much longer. He doesn’t want her to keep thinking that she’s done something wrong, when he’s only trying to tease her.

“Oh?” is all that she can manage, trying not to sound hurt. He can tell that much from the single syllable.

“You and my sister. And I believe Pike and Grog were in on it, too. You were all having a conversation in the hot springs in Scanlan’s mansion.”

From the corner of his eye, he can see the unease fade to confusion, and then give way to realization.

It is at that moment, when her eyebrows shoot up and she takes a breath to respond, that Vax reaches out and shoves her off the rocks and down into the water. Keyleth lets out a short startled shriek that might have been his name, might have been a curse, before she’s submerged beneath the clear water.

“I seem to recall a cannonball contest that I never got to be a part of,” Vax shouts, even though he’s certain she can’t hear him, because all he can see are the bubbles from the passing and the slowly fading ripples that indicate where she was.

With a whoop of excitement, he jumps in after her – doing his best cannonball, though he was certain it paled in comparison to the ones his companions could have possibly come up with. The cool silk of the water wraps around him, embracing him with a gentle caress and swirling around his hands and ankles as he resurfaces with a gasp.

“Keyleth?” He’s laughing, treading water and glancing around the pool. “Keyleth, you’re not mad at me for that, are you?” His smile reduces a tick when he can’t immediately find her. He spins in a circle, still with no evidence of a shock of red hair.

A blast of water hits him on the side of the face.

Instinct kicks in, and Vax whirls towards the offending spray, only to have the next one hit him square on the nose. He shakes his head, the water burning in his nostrils. Another attack comes from behind, and then a fourth in his ear, and he realizes that his foe is none other than his water elemental of a girlfriend.

“Not fair!” he calls, and a wave of water sloshes over him from behind.

The torrents of water continue to bombard him mercilessly, so much so that Vax is finding it hard to breathe. He tries to get his bearings amidst the waves, but is unable to see clearly due to the water stinging his eyes.

“Okay! Okay! I give up! I’m sorry!” Vax manages to say before having to close his mouth to avoid swallowing water.

The sprays continue to surround him and then they gradually lessen. Vax wipes off what he can off his face with the back of his hand and opens his eyes, expecting to see the water elemental, but when he looks, it’s not there anymore.

_Huh? Where did— Whoa!_

Vax is suddenly startled as something grabs onto him from behind as two arms wrap around his torso. However, it is not a pair of wavy, watery arms that grab hold, but rather a pair of slender, humanoid arms.

“Kiki?” Vax calls out, sounding a little worried.

A rather sinister chuckle sounds from behind as the one grappling him clings on tight. But they don’t say anything for the longest time, which only further increases Vax’s unease.

_I hope it isn’t someone who managed to find this place. And if it’s an enemy, we’re completely defenseless without our equipment..._

Silence continues to dominate the hot spring as Vax finds himself unable to turn around, the figure’s grip being tight enough to restrain him. And then another chuckle sounds out, playful and teasing.

“Learned your lesson yet, Vax’ildan?”

At the sound of her voice, the tension in Vax’s body lessens. The person grappling him is Keyleth, after all.

“Heh... Yeah. I learned my lesson,” he replies as she turns him around to face her. Her expression is neutral, but her eyes give her intent away.

“Sorry about that. I was hoping to make up for not attending that cannonball contest.”

Keyleth shakes her head, a smirk on her face. “It’s all right. I forgive you... this time.” She then takes her hand and points at Vax, still smirking. “Just don’t do that again. I might get angry for real. And you know how I get when I’m angry.”

Vax nods with a gulp, “Yes, ma’am.”

Still smirking, Keyleth pushes Vax away from where they were treading water, his back suddenly making contact with a rock behind him as she takes hold of the back of his head and pulls him in for a kiss. He notices that just before she does this, she quickly mutters something under her breath and flicks her wrist quickly. And then she does so for a second time as she tightens her grip around Vax’s body.

“Uh, Kiki? What are you doing?” Vax manages to say after their lips part.

Keyleth’s eyes seem to twinkle with delight as she pulls him in for another. “Trying out new things. I just hope you have the stamina for it.”

“I have to say, I love this new side of yours. Confident, humorous... and quite playful.”

She smiles at his compliments. “Who do you think I learned all of that from?”

Then, as Keyleth kisses him again, she drags Vax down beneath the surface of the water with her. It takes him a moment to realize that she had cast _Water Breathing_ on them both, and another to realize that she had given him a secondary boon so he could... last longer.

 _This is the best moment of my life right now_ , is all he can think before he loses himself to another round of passion with his beloved.

* * *

About an hour later, Vax and Keyleth are clothed again and sprawled on the ground, their bodies heaving from the rather stimulating moments they shared underwater. It never ceases to amaze him that he fell in love with such a powerful woman like her. And it also never ceases to amaze him that of all people, Keyleth had chosen to fall in love with him. It was more than he could have hoped for ever since the attack of the Conclave all those months ago.

The sun begins to set overhead, the end of the day approaching. Vax sighs wistfully at the sight, knowing that after today, he and Keyleth would have to start the next day with the rest of Vox Machina. And once again, there would be very little chances for them to share time alone.

“Keyleth?” Vax says to the tired woman whose head lay over his heart, arms lazily embracing him. Keyleth tilts her head up to meet his gaze.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. For all of this today. I’ve truly never felt happier than I have right now.”

Keyleth blushes a little as she smiles. “You’re welcome, Vax. I’m so glad I got to do this for you.”

He smiles back as he pulls out the stone he had found yesterday, looking over the words that were imprinted into it once more: **_“To the one who would brave jumping into a vortex of lava, face the end of the world with no trace of fear, and still stand by my side through all of that until the bitter end, this is for you. Happy birthday, my beloved Vax’ildan. –Keyleth”_**

His gaze lingers on the stone for a moment longer before he puts it back in his pocket, continuing to lay on the ground with the love of his life. After a few more moments, Keyleth reluctantly gets up off the ground, Vax himself following suit.

“We probably should head back to Whitestone. If I recall, Percy’s planning something for you and Vex. I just wish I remembered what it was,” Keyleth mentions.

Vax chuckles. “Knowing Percival, I’m sure it will be extravagant, majestic, and more than a little pompous.”

Keyleth nods. “That’s Percy for you.”

After gathering their things, they make their way to the tree they entered from. The two lovers hold hands as Keyleth casts her spell again and they jump through, Vax thankful once more for such a beautiful and fantastic day.


End file.
